Upcoming Free Repair Sessions
This is the current schedule for our free repair sessions. Please be advised that especially during winter months check with the Bellingham Public library and/or the Bellis Fair Mall to see if bad weather has caused them to close.
We will be continuing our repair sessions on the second and third Sundays of every month in Maker’s Space (adjacent to Dick’s Sporting Goods) in the Bellis Fair Mall in Bellingham from 1:00 pm until 3:30 pm. Remember that access is only possible from inside the mall. These meetings will continue to occur on those same days and at those times every month until further notice on this website.
In addition, as of December 2022 two new sessions will be added for each month. They will occur at the downtown Bellingham Public Library in their “Skill Share” section that is just inside the front door of that building. The library sessions will occur on the 2nd and 3rd Tuesdays of each month from 4:30 pm until 6:45 pm.
As to parking available for our sessions, there is no problem or charge to park at the Bellis Fair Mall. Most folks find it easiest to park on the south side of Dick’s Sporting Goods and then enter the mall through the Dick’s store (Maker’s Space is nearby where we meet).
Parking for our downtown library sessions is a bit more problematic. Bellingham parking authorities have now extended the hours of pay parking on the streets to 6:00 pm. After that it is free. So from 4:30 until 6:00 pm on the Tuesdays that we meet downtown, payment is required unless you want to risk a ticket for a parking violation which can be expensive for you. We do have alternative free parking available downtown for a few clients. It is in the parking lot of the Central Plaza building (Public Defender’s building) which is directly across the street from the front doors of the library. They have given permission for our clients to use part of their parking. However, keep in mind that you may park only in the slots that do not say “Reserved” which are stenciled on the asphalt. There are four of them available in their lot plus you may park in any of their handicapped spots if you have a state issued handicapped parking tag to display.
Our meetings and times are currently in a state of flux so please always check this website for any scheduling changes before proceeding to one of our sessions.
Who we are
We are a group of volunteers who are dedicated to conserving the earth’s resources and decreasing the burden on our overtaxed landfill areas by repairing and rehabilitating broken household items that would otherwise be discarded.
What we do
For any broken or non-functioning item that you can comfortably carry in, we will evaluate it and determine if it can be repaired. Owners must be present and participate during the repair of their items. We will teach you how !! Minors must be accompanied by a responsible adult.
What does it cost
We provide the evaluation and repair services for free. We also supply some basic parts and materials, but if unique repair parts are required (e.g. new motors, circuit boards, wiring harnesses, etc.) then you must purchase them – that is your only cost. Most of our successful repairs require no new parts. You determine if any cost to you is reasonable before we begin the actual repair. Once you obtain the needed parts the repair process is completed in a subsequent repair session.
What we repair
We fix small appliances, kitchen items, tools, electrical items, kids’ toys, bicycles – basically anything you can carry into our sessions other than the restricted items below. While we can’t fix everything, we do have an excellent record of successful repairs. And, what we absolutely cannot fix, we will help you recycle. We cannot store any items for you. We only work within our meeting area — no house calls. NOTE: A few of our volunteers do “handy man” work for pay that is independent of our free repair meetings. Please inquire through the contact tab at the top of this web page.
Some Examples of Successful Repairs
Electric kitchen mixers, food processors, toasters, coffee grinders, coffee percolators, crock pots, paper shredders, upright vacuums, hand held vacuums, irons, skill saws, electric drills, various non-power tools, replacement electric cords and plugs, electronic musical instruments, record turntables, lamp and light fixture rewiring, resew backpack straps, broken pottery (not shattered), picture frame repair, wine coolers, water pumps, strollers, shopping carts, hair dryers, heat guns, space heaters, etc.
FOR HIGH TECH ITEMS PLEASE NOTE: While we will assess anything that you can carry in to our repair sessions, advances in electrical micro-technology now allow manufacturers to incorporate printed circuits, “mother boards”, integrated circuits, and other features into their products that are not amenable to either diagnosis or repair — the only solution is to replace the entire defective unit which is often not cost effective for you. For this reason, in the past we have had very little success with “technology loaded” modern household items e.g. computers, cell phones, television sets, etc. HOWEVER, we have recently been joined by a young man who is very knowledgeable about a lot of the high tech items noted above especially computers, software problems, and cell phones. You would be highly likely to benefit by allowing him to evaluate any malfunctioning high tech item before discarding it.
Restricted Items That We Don’t accept for repair
- Anything containing gasoline or petroleum products
- Items that are leaking fluids
- Grimy, dirty, or hazardous items
- Items having noxious or excessive odors
- Anything that cannot be easily carried e.g. no major appliances, motor vehicles, etc.
- Any items from a commercial business
- Any item that is not appropriate in a public setting
New Skills Now Available
We recently have been joined by a young man who is skilled at repairing high tech items (see above paragraph regarding high tech items). We also now have an experienced sewing machine repairman who can have your sewing machine back up and running again in no time. In addition we have been joined by a very experienced seamstress (formerly worked in Seattle bridal shop) who can perform fabric repairs of many types and do limited alterations — must be completed within one meeting timeframe. She will do more involved alterations privately for payment.
Help Us Help You
One of the dilemmas that we sometimes encounter is being handed a large box of parts with a request that we help reassemble the item. Household items are often easier to take apart than they are to put back together so if you have limited experience in performing repairs, please wait and let us first disassemble the item with you. The sequence of parts during reassembly is usually critical and without first seeing how it came apart, it is difficult or impossible to correctly put it back together. If your curiosity has already led you to dismantle the item, at least be doubly sure that you bring all of the parts that you removed and transport any very small parts in a closed container to make sure that they do not become lost. Lastly bring any owner’s manuals with you especially those with “exploded” views of internal parts.
Are you good at fixing things ?? Volunteer with us !
We are always looking for volunteers who can contribute to our efforts to minimize the environmental effects of our “throwaway” society. If you have special knowledge about electronics, computers, making repairs in general, or if you can assist with the general administration and maintenance of the repair sessions, and especially if you are good at teaching and explaining things to others, then you can contribute to our efforts. We also need volunteers who will help publicize our services to the general public. In return for volunteering you will experience an immense sense of personal satisfaction by identifying, solving and correcting problems for grateful patrons. You will make new friends and acquaintances as well as learn new repair skills with the repair knowledge that is shared with the other volunteers. Let us know about your volunteer interest and any special repair skills that you can share by filling out the form on our Contact page link at the top right hand corner of this page.
Have any other questions?
Be sure to click on the Blog link (top right) for the very latest information about the repair sessions. If you have further questions fill out the form on our Contact page link and we will get back to you
Northwest Free Repairs 